New app informs you about car-related issues, possible recalls

There are millions of cars with recalls on them right here in Ohio, but people in our area might not know about them. In fact, you might even be driving one. Now, a new app hopes to change all that and make roads safer.

A new app hopes to inform you on recalls and other important car-related issues.

Copyright 2017 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

CLEVELAND - There are millions of cars with recalls on them right here in Ohio, but people in our area might not know about them. In fact, you might even be driving one. Now, a new app hopes to change all that and make roads safer.

"Recalled cars not being fixed can fail at any time," said Chris Basso from CarFax. Based on the company's data — about 1 in every 4 cars on Ohio roads has a recall on it, an increase from last year.

"A lot of vehicles being recalled last year…it was a record number for recalls. But also people may not be doing enough to stay informed about the recalls on their cars,” Basso said.

The new app is called MyCarFax. It's as simple as checking your license plate or vehicle identification number (VIN).

"So, you type in the license plate,” said Basso as he was using the app in our station’s parking lot as he was checking on a newer Toyota. “If there was something that needed attention, whether it be a recall or an oil change, you'd see (a) red circle with a number on it."

The app also tells you if you need an oil change, tire rotation, emissions test and even something many of us forget to do. "So, this car doesn't have any open recalls on it, but the registration is overdue. So, this is a ticket waiting to happen,” Basso said after scanning a different car in our lot.

By the 5th car we checked, there was an issue. "This Honda Civic does have an open recall,” Basso said pointing to the app.

All of this is info doesn't cost you a dime. "We provide it to people free because it's such an important part of your car's maintenance, but it's also such a huge impact on our public safety," Basso told us.

The information found on the app can also be accessed on your computer.

Copyright 2017 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.